Along Came Arthur
by CAWHS
Summary: Human AU. Alfred Jones is a young actor living in LA. He is wildly successful, but what will happen when his kid cousin, Arthur Kirkland, comes to stay with him while his mother is in the hospital?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Hetalia: Axis Powers_ or its characters.**

**Along Came Arthur**

**Chapter One**

It was a quiet Sunday morning at St. Thomas' Hospital in London. The patients rested in their rooms, unwilling to break the peaceful hush. Mrs. Kirkland was no exception to this unspoken rule. A devout Catholic, she held her small rosary in shaking hands. She whispered her prayers, unwilling to let her confinement prevent her from taking part on God's day. Once finished, she glanced to her small son sitting in the chair by her side.

The boy watched his mother's Sunday ritual through his messy, blond bangs. He smiled gently at his mother as she slowly reached out to push them from his face.

"You need a haircut, Arthur," she teased. Arthur's eyes widened comically.

"No!" he shouted. "I need my hair!" His mother gave him a questioning look.

"Why is that, love?"

"My hair hides my eyebrows," he mumbled, eyes downcast. Mrs. Kirkland chuckled.

"You do have your father's brow," she agreed with a smile. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off as Mrs. Kirkland's doctor entered the room.

"Good morning!" he greeted the two. Mrs. Kirkland sent the doctor a friendly nod as Arthur waved with a toothy smile. Dr. Wang waved back at Arthur. "How are you today, Arthur?"

"I'm good!" Arthur answered.

"Good!" Dr. Wang faced Mrs. Kirkland, voice sobering. "And how are you feeling, Elizabeth?"

"Well enough, I suppose," she answered. Dr. Wang nodded, jotting down a quick note on his clip board. He bit his lip nervously as he reviewed some of the information on his paper. Mrs. Kirkland noticed. "Is everything alright, Yao?"

"Your test results are back," Dr. Wang explained. Mrs. Kirkland's mouth hardened into a flat line, knowing already what they would read. She turned to her confused son.

"Arthur, dear, can you please wait in the hallway while Dr. Wang and I discuss something?" She asked him. Arthur hesitated, but complied nonetheless. He jumped down from his chair and stepped into the hallway. Once there, he found another seat in which to wait. As Arthur settled himself, Mrs. Kirkland returned her attention to her doctor. Dr. Wang settled in the previously occupied chair.

"Your test results came back positive. I'm so sorry," he said softly. Mrs. Kirkland's eyes widened. She felt her throat tighten as she took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. After all, she knew that her health was not improving. She glanced to her son in the hallway through the window in her room as he ruffled through the pages of a women's fashion magazine. He wasn't reading the articles, choosing instead to watch something down the hall.

"What happens now?" she whispered, eyes glued to Arthur.

"Well, we will do everything we can to keep the tumor from spreading. Unfortunately, we caught it late and I'm not sure of how much we can do. You'll need to start chemotherapy, of course."

As Dr. Wang spoke, Mrs. Kirkland continued to watch her son. His skinny legs swung back and forth as they weren't quite long enough to touch the floor. Born two months premature, he had always been small. The magazine slipped from his hands and fluttered to the ground. Arthur jumped slightly, having forgotten what he was holding. He slipped out of his seat and picked the magazine up from the ground. He trotted over to a small, metal rack and placed the magazine back where it belonged. As he turned around, he noticed an elderly man in a wheel chair coming his way. He pinned himself to the wall to allow the man as much passing space as possible. The man chuckled at Arthur's polite gesture and Arthur flashed him a crooked grin. After the man passed, Arthur went back to his chair, swinging his legs contently once again.

"Mrs. Kirkland?" Dr. Wang asked.

"I can't trouble them anymore," Mrs. Kirkland responded. Dr. Wang looked at her, slightly flustered.

"I'm sorry?"

"The neighbors. I can't ask them to watch Arthur any longer. It's been too long as it is and I know that I won't be healthy any time soon. I need to find someone else to watch him." She buried her misty eyes in her dry hands. "But I have no idea who."

"His father, perhaps?" Dr. Wang suggested. Mrs. Kirkland barked a laugh, causing Dr. Wang to jump.

"That drunken bastard? I don't think so," she responded.

"You mentioned before that he has a few older brothers. Perhaps one of them?"

"Allistor and his wife have two toddlers and a third on the way and Dylan and Seamus are both at university," Mrs. Kirkland sighed. "I would ask my brother and his wife, but both of their sons have recently moved out and they're enjoying their early retirement by traveling the world." Silence filled the room until a soft knocking sounded through the door.

"Can I come back inside now?" Arthur mumbled.

"Yes, love," Mrs. Kirkland responded. Arthur entered the room and returned to his mother's side. She took in her son's features. He had pale skin, much like herself, and her green eyes. His heavy eyebrows, of course, were his father's, a trait that did not belong in the Jones family. But he had that light blond hair that looked just like her brother's sons at that age. She gasped, suddenly struck with an idea.

"I know who can watch Arthur."

* * *

A young man waited patiently in line at Starbucks. His eyes ran briefly over the menu as he contemplated what to buy. He stepped forward as it came to be his turn to order.

"Welcome to Starbucks! How can I help you?" the cashier asked.

"I'll have a tall Iced Caffè Mocha, please," Alfred said, pulling out his wallet to pay. The cashier pushed a few buttons before telling Alfred the price. He gave her a five and she gave him his change.

"Your name?" she asked.

"Alfred Jones." The Sharpie marker slipped from the girl's hand and fell to the floor. Her eyes grew wide as she looked Alfred up and down.

"Alfred Jones?! As in _the_ Alfred Jones?! As in the man who plays Dave on _Huntington High_?" Alfred nodded.

"You a fan?" he winked. The girl nodded furiously.

"Oh my god, you have no idea!" she squealed. "Jamie! Come here!" Another girl, Jamie, glanced to the first from a nearby table. Her jaw dropped and she dashed over to the counter.

"Oh my god, it's Alfred Jones! I _love_ your show! You're amazing!" Alfred chuckled.

"Thank you," he said, leaning towards them slightly.

"Do you mind if we take a photo with you?" Jamie asked. Alfred shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?" The first girl quickly joined them on the other side of the counter and pulled her phone from her pocket. The three of them squished close together as they took the picture. Once finished, the girls handed Alfred his drink and he left the Starbucks behind him. The Los Angeles sun warmed his tan skin and he pulled his sunglasses from his t-shirt collar and put them on. He glanced at the time on his phone and panicked slightly as he noticed he was running late. He hurried off to the studio. Twenty minutes later, he found himself bursting through the studio doors.

"Sorry I'm late!" he announced as the door slammed behind him. He noticed the director of _Huntington High_, Francis Bonnefoy, rolled his eyes. It wasn't unusual for Alfred to run late.

"Ah, Alfred. How nice of you to join us. What kept you today?" Francis asked.

"I, um, wanted Starbucks," Alfred said lamely. Francis noticed the now empty coffee cup in Alfred's hand.

"Well, you're here now. Head over to make-up and get ready," Francis instructed. Alfred nodded and hurried off to his make-up artist, Katyusha.

* * *

"And cut! That was very good you two. Go ahead and take a break while we set up for the next scene," Francis instructed. Alfred and his co-stars, Antonio and Mathias, nodded. They chatted as they walked off-set, unsure of where to spend their break. Alfred's attention was turned away from his friends as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Alfred? Your aunt Elizabeth called while you were filming," Tino, an intern, informed.

"Did she leave a message or anything?" Alfred asked. Tino shook his head.

"Not really, no. She just said it was very important and to call her back as soon as you could."

"Alright, I'll go ahead and do that now. Thanks, Tino." Tino nodded and hurried off. Alfred informed Mathias and Antonio and left for his trailer. As he stepped outside, he felt the warm sun on his skin once again, and felt slightly disappointed when it left as he entered his trailer. Once inside the trailer, he picked his cell phone up from a table and called his aunt. His brow furrowed in concern as he imagined possible scenarios. He rarely interacted with his British relatives and wondered what the occasion was. He was soon met with a greeting.

"Hello? Alfred, dear?" she asked. Alfred cleared his throat.

"Aunt Elizabeth? Yeah, it's me. What's up?"

Alfred listened quietly as his aunt explained her predicament. He sank into his leather couch, unable to support himself completely as his aunt explained her illness. He stared blankly at the floor of his trailer, nodding along even though he knew his aunt could not see him. He wasn't close to his aunt or his cousins, however he couldn't help but be saddened by the news.

"And he doesn't have anywhere to go," Mrs. Kirkland explained to Alfred. "I know that you're quite young and that you're extremely busy but I just don't have anyone else that I can turn to."

"Yeah, I get it," Alfred replied.

"I understand if you need some time to think it over," Mrs. Kirkland offered.

"No, it's really no trouble at all." Mrs. Kirkland cried gently with relief. It created a quiet crackling through the phone.

"Thank you so much, Alfred," she said. "I will contact you later when I get the details straightened out."

"Alright, sounds good. I hope you feel better soon," Alfred replied, unsure of what to say. As their conversation came to an end, Alfred was met with an eerie silence in his trailer. Thoughts ran through his mind as he thought about what he just agreed to do. He stared blankly ahead, blue eyes devoid of emotion. However, it wasn't long before Antonio and Mathias entered his trailer.

"We can go home early today! Francis is in one of his moods and claims that he is 'just not feeling the vibe today,'" Mathias informed Alfred, imitating the director's French accent. His smile dropped as he noticed Alfred's solemn mood. "Are you alright?"

"My aunt is dying," Alfred replied. Antonio crinkled his brow with worry and hurried to sit by his friend.

"I'm so sorry, Alfred," he said. Alfred shook his head.

"I just didn't see it coming. I mean, we weren't really that close or anything but it's still _weird_. It's just all very surreal."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Mathias asked.

"No. Thanks, though." Alfred was silent for a moment. "There's something else." His friends gave him a questioning look. "She asked me to look after her youngest son." Antonio gasped slightly.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I said that I would do it."

"Alfred! Did you even think that through? Do you even know _how_ to look after a kid?" Mathias interjected. Alfred glared weakly at him.

"Well what else could I say? There's no one else in our family that can take him. It's not exactly like I could let her down."

"Sorry, it's just that you're _nineteen_. How old is the kid?"

"He's five."

"Shit, man." Mathias ran a hand through his spiked hair.

"Look, Alfred," Antonio started, "we're here for you. If you need help, just let us know. _Right_, Mathias?" The Dane nodded weakly, refusing to look either of his friends in the eye.

Alfred sighed, thinking of what was to come. He didn't know how he would look after his youngest cousin - he wasn't entirely sure he could look after _himself_ properly – but he wouldn't turn his back on the kid. After all, Arthur was losing his mother, and Alfred refused to let the child feel completely abandoned and alone.

* * *

**So I started this instead of finishing chapter three of "The History of England." Jeez. That's coming at some point! I promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

**And here we are with the second chapter! It's a little bit shorter than the first, but I hope that you all enjoy it nonetheless. Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It's so motivating to see that readers hold an interest in this story.**

**Along Came Arthur**

**Chapter Two**

"Alright. Good job, everyone! Let's be finished for today," Francis instructed. Alfred, Mathias, and Antonio walked off of the set, and Alfred picked up his cell phone from a nearby chair. He clicked it on, bringing life to the screen, and glanced at the time. The large numbers stated that it was 4:23. He smiled, pleased that filming finished almost half an hour early.

"Alfred! Antonio and I are going to run over to In-N-Out Burger. Want to join us?" Mathias asked, jumping slightly with excitement. Alfred shook his head.

"I can't today. I have to go pick Arthur up from the airport. Thanks, though," he replied.

"Oh yeah. I forgot that the kid's coming today."

"Yup."

"Ah, yes. The little one arrives today! I am so excited for you, Alfred!" Francis walked over to the actors, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "You must bring him to work with you! I would like to meet your little cousin, _d'accord_?" Alfred chuckled slightly before agreeing. "Good, good. Now, leave! All of you! Enjoy your afternoons!"

The trio cheered before they walked toward their respected trailers to change. Once finished, they walked towards the parking lot.

"Are you excited to have Arthur staying with you?" Antonio asked. Alfred paused for a beat before nodding slowly.

"Yeah, I am. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it's going to be kind of weird. I've never even _met_ him. But it'll work out, I'm sure." Mathias scoffed, earning a glare from Antonio. Alfred chose to ignore him, knowing well that the Dane was unhappy with the situation. But it wasn't exactly as if _he _suddenly had to look after a child!

The trio approached Alfred's black, Ford F-150 first. Alfred sighed as he pulled his keys from his shorts pocket and unlocked the vehicle. Antonio clapped him on the back and shot him a comforting smile. Alfred smiled weakly back before climbing into the truck. He started the engine and turned up the radio volume, deciding to drown his doubts in the familiar beat of one Jason Aldean's songs. He took a deep breath and pulled out of the parking lot.

The drive to LAX lasted about twenty minutes, and Alfred soon found himself inside the airport waiting for Arthur. He stood for a few moments before finding a nearby chair in which to wait. A few moments later he began to play around with his phone. Each time he noticed a group of people pass by he checked for Arthur. His aunt had sent him an email several days earlier containing Arthur's flight information and photograph, and Alfred was confident that he would be able to recognize the mess of blond hair immediately. And he did.

As the fourth group of people passed, Alfred caught sight of an airport attendant holding the hand of a skinny, blond boy. The boy held a small bag in his unoccupied hand while the attendant rolled his larger suitcase behind them. Alfred smiled and stood to greet them.

"Are you Alfred Jones?" the attendant asked.

"Yup! That's me."

"Do you mind showing me some ID?" Alfred flashed the attendant his driver's license before the attendant handed him Arthur's suitcase. He released Arthur's hand from his before gently ruffling the boy's hair. Alfred did not miss Arthur's look of annoyance.

"It was nice to meet you, Arthur. Have a nice stay with your cousin!" the attendant said before leaving the cousins behind. Arthur watched him walk away before turning to face Alfred. Alfred, unsure of what to do, gave Arthur a little wave and a smile.

"Hey, Artie! It's nice to meet ya! I'm your cousin, Alfred. Are ya hungry? I was thinking we could grab some dinner somewhere or we can head straight back to my place if you're tired. I know you've spent all day traveling, so if you just wanna relax that's fine."

"Arthur."

"Hm?" Alfred questioned.

"My name is Arthur. Not Artie," the boy stated calmly. Alfred's smile faltered slightly.

"Oh. Sorry 'bout that, Arthur." An uncomfortable silence passed between the two as Alfred waited for an answer to his earlier question. When he supposed that he was not going to receive one, he held his hand out for Arthur to take. "Alright, well, let's go to my car." Arthur stared at Alfred's outstretched hand before taking it hesitantly.

"So, Arthur," Alfred began, "what are some things that you like to do?" Arthur shrugged, eyes somewhat distant. Alfred decided to continue the conversation. "Well, I like to act and surf. When I was kid and living in Texas I liked to horseback ride alot. Mostly barrel racing and stuff." Arthur looked at Alfred.

"You like horses?" he asked, curious.

"Sure do!" Alfred exclaimed, excited that he had elicited some sort of response from the boy. "I guess you do too?"

"I like unicorns," Arthur replied.

The duo walked out of the airport and made their way across the parking lot. Arthur allowed Alfred to lead him, not having the slightest idea of how his American cousin's car looked. When the pair finally approached Alfred's truck, Arthur audibly gasped.

"_This_ is your car?!" Arthur cried.

"Yeah, it is," Alfred said, frowning at his cousin's reaction. "Is something wrong?"

"It's so _big!_" Arthur said. He stared at the large truck in awe, eyes wide as they took in the details. Alfred chuckled.

"I guess being from Europe you're not used to seeing too many cars like this, huh?" Alfred ask, pride lacing his voice. Arthur simply nodded in affirmation. Alfred proceeded to store Arthur's suitcase in the truck bed. He then turned to Arthur, looking the boy over in thought. Arthur squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"What?" he asked.

"Let's seat you in the back. You're not big enough to sit in the passenger seat," Alfred decided. Arthur released an annoyed huff but resolved to listen to his cousin. Alfred opened the back door, trying his best to hide his smile as Arthur stared up at the heightened seat. The boy took a deep breath before throwing his small bag into the truck. He then reached up to grasp the leather of the seat in his small fists as he jumped against the side of the truck. He scrambled onto the seat, face turning a light shade of scarlet from embarrassment, and pointedly ignored Alfred's amused chuckle.

Alfred shut the door before climbing into the driver's seat. Before starting the car, he turned to ask Arthur his earlier question.

"So, do you want to stop to get something to eat or just head straight home?" Arthur shot him a small glare.

"This isn't home."

Alfred sighed and dropped his head. Alfred thought that things were fine just a minute ago. He found out that the kid liked unicorns! Alfred lifted his head to look at Arthur again.

"Look, Arthur, I know that this is hard, and I'm really sorry about your mom. I know that you don't want to be here or live with me, but you're here now. We may as well try to get along, yeah? You might even find out that you like it here!" Alfred tried. Arthur sat with his arms crossed as he contemplated his cousin's words. After a moment of thought, he turned his attention to the window. Alfred sighed again and started the truck. He was met with the voice of a familiar DJ.

"You're listening to 105 FM's Go Country." In the rearview mirror, Alfred saw Arthur's head shoot forward to look at him.

"Country?" Arthur asked. Alfred nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure thing!" Alfred turned the music up excitedly as he recognized the beginning of a song. "I love this one, dude! Stick with me and I'll teach you the lyrics!" Arthur watched his cousin bob his head up and down with the beat of the song as they pulled onto the highway. The entire truck seemed to bounce with the music as Alfred began to sing along with Luke Bryan.

"Hey, girl. Go on now. You know you got everybody lookin'."

Arthur scoffed indignantly as Alfred smiled at him in the rearview mirror. Alfred ignored this and continued with his singing.

"Got a little boom in my big truck. Gonna open up the doors and turn it up. Gonna stomp my boots in the Georgia mud. Gonna watch you make me fall in love."

Arthur closed his eyes and leaned back against his seat. It was indeed going to be long drive back to Alfred's.


	3. Chapter 3

**Along Came Arthur**

**Chapter Three**

As Alfred's truck drove smoothly along the highway and eventual smaller roads, Arthur watched the southern Californian scenery pass. He was surprised by the warmth and sunshine of the city, being used to the dampness of England. It was one of the few pleasantries he found in his arrangement. When Alfred directed the truck through the various neighborhoods, Arthur was shocked by the size of the homes. He was too young to understand the wealth and fame that Alfred had accumulated through his line of work and stared in awe at the mansions.

As the truck finally slowed, Arthur was surprised to see that Alfred's home was not quite as large as his neighbor's. He voiced this curiosity to Alfred who merely shrugged.

"I don't need that much space. It's just me, after all."

The home was still quite impressive. It was quite modern, composed of a white washed stucco exterior with several walls of glass. As Arthur's gaze drifted towards the top, he was surprised to see the roof had been replaced by an open patio. When Alfred pulled into the drive, he slowed his truck to a stop and punched in a code into a keypad. Arthur gawked as Alfred's gate swung open and allowed the truck passage. He had never experienced a life like this and was shocked that his American cousin lived this way. Alfred looked at Arthur in the rearview mirror, smiling slightly as he saw the look of amazement on his cousin's face.

"Whelp, here we are. What do ya think?" he asked. Arthur's attention snapped back to cousin. He simply nodded before looking with wonder at the manicured front lawn as the truck slowly pulled up the driveway and into the garage. Alfred shut the truck off and hoped out. He walked around the back of the truck to help Arthur with his door, but stopped and watched as he saw the look of determination on his young cousin's face.

Arthur struggled to push the large, heavy door open, but looked quite pleased with himself when he finished. He gathered his small bag and jumped out of the back seat and onto the ground. He shut the door weakly behind him, scowling slightly as Alfred had to repeat the task for him. Alfred then collected Arthur's large suitcase from the truck bed and unlocked the door leading into the house.

Arthur followed his cousin into the mini mansion. Alfred led him through the laundry room and into the kitchen. The kitchen contained hardwood flooring and white walls. It was laced with dark granite counter tops and spacious cabinets. Stainless steel furniture was spread throughout the room.

"How do you keep the kitchen so clean?" Arthur couldn't help but ask.

"I never use it!" Alfred laughed. "I mean I have food and everything, but I don't cook very often. C'mon! I'll show you the rest of the house."

Arthur followed Alfred and quickly learned the layout. His curiosity peeked when he glanced out of the glass wall of the living room and noticed the swimming pool in Alfred's back yard. Alfred smiled, glad to see Arthur showing excitement about something.

"Do you like to swim, Arthur?" he asked.

"I don't know how," he replied, disappointed that he wouldn't be able to use the beautiful pool. He always wanted to learn how to swim but no one ever seemed to have the time to teach him how.

"Don't worry, I can teach you!" Alfred promised excitedly. Arthur positively beamed.

"Do you mean it?!" he cried. Alfred laughed, pleased by the reaction.

"Yeah, dude! How about this weekend when I don't have to worry about work? Do you have a swimming suit?" Arthur's face fell slightly.

"No, I don't. But I can swim in my pants! It's okay! I don't mind!" he replied desperately. Alfred shook his head.

"No, no, no. No worries though! We can go out sometime this week and pick up a suit for ya."

Arthur seemed to follow Alfred around the house with a little more spring in his step after the conversation. Finally, Alfred showed Arthur his room on the second floor and placed his suitcase on the bed. He then rubbed the back of his head uncertainly as Arthur explored the space.

"I wasn't really sure what you would like, so it's a little plain. But we can totally redecorate it if you want! I just didn't know if you would like red or blue or…" Alfred stopped speaking as he noticed Arthur gawk at the room. "Do you like it?"

"It's so _big_," Arthur breathed. "And the furniture isn't beat up at all. All of my stuff back home belonged to my brothers' at one point. I've never had anything new before." Alfred's smile fell at Arthur's words. He'd never had anything new before? He hadn't taken a moment to consider what kind of environment or financial background Arthur came from. He knew that his aunt wasn't wealthy. She didn't work, and her husband had difficulty holding a job. Alfred shook his head. It didn't matter right now.

"Want me to help you unpack?" he offered. Arthur nodded.

There wasn't much to unpack. Alfred helped Arthur put away his clothes in the closet (Alfred quickly decided that the kid needed a new wardrobe as the clothes were probably older than _he _was) and his toiletries in the adjoining bathroom. There were a few toys that Arthur carefully put inside of a trunk and some books that Arthur lined against a small bookshelf. Alfred noticed that Arthur organized his collection somehow, but couldn't quite figure out the order. He simply left Arthur to it. He chuckled, however, when he noticed Arthur jump in surprise in the middle of a yawn when his stomach grumbled.

"Ready for dinner?" Alfred asked, storing the now empty suitcase and carry-on bag into Arthur's closet. Arthur nodded eagerly. The two went back down the stairs and into the kitchen. Alfred sat Arthur in one of his bar stools and scanned his refrigerator for anything that he could put together. He found a frozen cheese pizza from California Pizza Kitchen in the freezer.

"Is cheese pizza alright?" Alfred asked over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I like that." Alfred removed the pizza from the box as he preheated the oven. He then leaned against the island counter to face Arthur while they waited.

"I should probably give you carrots or something, but unfortunately I don't have any rabbit food in the house," Alfred joked. His face fell slightly as he realized he _would_ have to look into the nutritional needs of children. Arthur didn't seem to notice his cousin's sudden thought as he grinned at the fact that he wouldn't be pushed into eating vegetables that night.

When the pizza was finished, the two ate in silence. As Alfred helped himself to his third slice, he noticed that Arthur was still picking at his first. His thoughts flashed briefly to the email exchanges with his aunt.

_Arthur is a VERY picky eater, so don't be surprised if he takes a while to eat or if he likes something one day but not the next._

"How's the pizza?" Alfred asked. Arthur looked up from his plate.

"'S good, but I'm sleepy," he replied. Alfred ah'd in understanding. He looked over to the clock on his oven and noticed it was 6:45. He did some quick addition in his head and realized that Arthur was up much past his bed time back in England.

"I bet you're tired. It's almost one in the morning back in England. I guess all the excitement of today kept you going until now." Alfred collected their plates and threw them in the sink to clean later before walking Arthur back up to his room.

"Do you need help getting ready for bed or anything?" Alfred asked, unsure of what to do. Arthur shook his head as he shuffled through his clothes to find his pajamas. He suddenly stopped and looked at Alfred.

"Will you tuck me in when I'm ready?" he asked uncertainly. Alfred nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! For sure, dude. I'll just go back and clean the kitchen while you get ready. Just give me a shout over the railing when you're done." Arthur nodded and Alfred shut the door behind him. He went back down to the kitchen, rinsed off the dishes and put them in the dish washer, and wiped down the counters. Just as he finished, he was surprised to hear the sound of small feet descending the stairs. He supposed Arthur wasn't quite comfortable enough to be shouting in Alfred's home yet. Alfred planned to change that.

"I'm ready," Arthur said as he entered the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. He dawned an oversized, white t-shirt and baggy, navy pajama pants.

"Alright. Let's go!" Alfred said, following Arthur back to his room. Arthur hurried over to his bed and climbed under the covers. Alfred stopped for a moment, not quite sure how to tuck Arthur in. He awkwardly shoved the comforter and sheets underneath the mattress. Arthur furrowed his brows in confusion.

"That's not, um, that's not what my mother does," he stated. Alfred stopped immediately, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, um, what does your mom do?" Arthur shrugged.

"She hands me my uni 'cause I usually forget it on the floor and then she sings me a song or reads me a story." Alfred brightened. He could do that!

"Alright! Where's your uni? The toy chest?" he asked. Arthur nodded sluggishly, his head heavy with exhaustion. Alfred shuffled through a few of the toys in the chest before spotting the white unicorn. He closed the trunk behind him and handed the plushie over to Arthur.

"Thanks," Arthur mumbled. "I can't sleep without uni." Alfred looked over the small book collection on Arthur's shelf.

"Which story do you want me to read?" he asked. He didn't receive a response. Confused, he looked over at Arthur.

His cousin had fallen asleep. Alfred smiled fondly as he quietly walked over to the bed. The stresses of the day had finally caught up to Arthur, and Alfred gently pulled up the sheets and comforter on Arthur's bed to cover the small boy's shoulders. Arthur had his unicorn tucked securely in his right arm and underneath his chin. Alfred felt an overwhelming sense of love for his cousin as he noticed the calm and content look on his sleeping face. The boy was simply adorable, and in that moment Alfred swore that he would do anything to keep his cousin happy. He placed his hand softly on Arthur's head and brushed his bangs from his face before placing a gentle kiss to his temple. He then quietly left the room, still dazed by the sudden feeling of brotherhood.

* * *

**And here's the third chapter! Sorry about the wait! I'm hoping to get the fourth chapter out much sooner. But in other news...**

**SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION:**

**I recently published a book! If anyone's interested in checking it out, just type in amazon's url and copy and paste the addition below to the end. The book is titled _Cacophony _and is available on Amazon.**

/dp/1490519440

**Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! I appreciate so much!**


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